Plow.



No. 637,665'. Patented Nov. 26, 190|.

.l. E. sPRAm.

PLOW.

Y (Application filed May 4. 1901.2 l (No Model.) A 2 Sheet-$haet I.

5ft/noauto@ Patented Nov. 2s', Ism. J. E. sPnAm.

PLOW.

(Application filed May 4. 1901.!

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)A W

PATENT lil FFlCE.

JOSEPH EDWARD SPRAIN, OF LEVI, TEXAS.

PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,665, dated November26, 1901.

Application tiled May 4, 1901.

To LZZ whom, #may concern:

Be it known that LJosEPH EDWARD SPRAIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Levi, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plows; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- actdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in combined plows and planters; andthe object of my invention is to provide an implement which can be usedeither as a plow or as a plow and planter combined,which implement shallbe cheap, compact, and serviceable.

With this object in view my invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved plow and planter combined. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the plow and planter, showing a modification ofthe seeddistributing device; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the lower part of Fig. 3, parts being broken away.

a represents the plow-beam, curved, as shown, and provided with holes,to which various parts of the apparatus are attached by bolts.

b represents two frames, similar in shape, bolted to the lower part ofthe plow-beam. To each of these frames is pivoted a bent arm or standardc, one of said arms being located on each side of the plow-beam a, butnot attached thereto. Bolts d, one above and one below the plow-beam,serve to limit the movement of the arms c, which may be adjusted on theplow-beam.

@represents the moldboards,which by means of the bolt f, washer g, andnut h are firmly attached to the frog j, located between the moldboardsand the arms c. These arms c are kept at the proper distance apart bymeans of a spacing-block e' and a thimble 8 on a shaft or bolt 9, whichpasses through the arms c.

To the beam a are fastened the similarlyshaped bent arms m, to which theplow-handles Z are bolted. These plow-handles are of the usual shape andpreferably made of wood;

Serial Not 58,795. (No model.)

but all the other parts of the device are made of metal, either iron orsteel.

o represents a box or receptacle in which the seed, either with orwithout a fertilizer, as lnay be preferred, is placed. Bent arms p, oneon each side of the plow-beam to which said arms are bolted, serve tosupport said receptacle, which is provided with a discharge-spout q,located directly behind the plow-point and directly and immediately infront of the covering-wheel w. This wheel w is mounted or journaled inthe arms u, each having a downward projection z. On the same shaft withthe wheel w is mounted or journaled a sprocket-Wheel t, which by meansof the'sprocket-chain s and sprocketwheel r, mounted on the receptacleo, serves to feed the seed -as the wheel w revolves. Of course thereceptacle o is provided with any suitable device (not shown) forfeeding the seed regularly and in the desired quantities. A wheelprovided with pockets in its periphery or any other well-known devicecould be used for this purpose.

Braces 2 run from the parts e' of the arms u up to the handles Z. Thesebraces are provided with slots 3, by means of which they may be adjustedin any desired position, thus raising the Wheel w or lowering it, asdesired. These slots are arranged to pass around bolts Il, between whichbolts and the plow-'beam a the braces n extend. A cleaner y is mountedon the shaft or bolt which connects the parts e of the two beams u., andfor the purpose of holding the cleaner y rmly in position the sleeve l2is interposed between the ends of thecleaner y on the bolt as. Thecleaner is curved to approximately the shape of the periphery of thewheel w, which is concave, as shown, and serves to loosen and remove anysoil that may stick to the periphery of said wheel.

The operation is obvious. point has been adjusted to the desired depthand the Icovering-wheel has been similarly adjusted the plow is drawnthrough the eld, opening a furrow. By means of sprocket- Wheels rand tand the chain .s the seed is fed regularly and in measured quantitiesinto the furrow formed by the plow, and the wheel w closes the furrowabove the seed.

After the plow- Instead of providing the seedbox o with the particularform of discharge-spout q as shown in Fig. l it maybe desirable toprovide a means for the more direct distribution of the seed to thefurrow, thus obviating the possibility ot the seed being scattered over`1oo much ground, and for this purpose I have provided the particularform of distribnter shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which the seedboX o isprovided with the spout 13, opening into the conical or pyramidal shapedhopper 14, secured by means of the brackets 15 and 16 to the beams b and17. It will be noted that the beam 17 is similar in construction to thebeam u, but is made longer for the purpose of allowing the hopper 14 tobe properly mounted out of the wayof the wheelw. The bracket 16 isslotted, as at 18, to receive the end of the pointed shovel 19, whichconveys the seed from the hopper directly to the furrowWithoutscattering the saine. This shovel 19 may be adjusted up or downby means of the set-screw 20 when desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is-

1. In a plow, the combination with a plowbeam, a frame secured thereto,bent arms pivoted at the forward end of said frame, provided with boltsadapted to clamp the two arms upon said plow-beam, and a plow-pointcarried by the lower end of said arms; of a second frame pivoted to therear end of said irstframe, a covering-wheel mountedin said secondframe, plow-handles attached to said plow-beam, and a pair of curve-dslotted arms connected to said second frame, and adjustably secured tosaid plow-handles for elevating and depressing said wheel, substantiallyas described.

2. In a plow, the combination with a plowbearn, a frame secured thereto,bent arms pivoted at the forward end of said frame, provided with boltsadapted to clamp the two arms upon said plow-beam, and a plow-pointcarried by the lower end of said arms; of a second frame pivoted to therear end of said rst frame, a covering-wheel mounted in said secondframe, a hopper carried by said plowbeam, a spout adapted to deliverseed before said covering-wheel, plow-handles attached to saidplow-beam, and a pair of curved slotted arms connected to said secondframe and adjustably secured to said plow-handles, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH EDW'ARD SPRAIN.

Witnesses:

J. W. BAKER, E. L. REED.

